I feel that occupying oneself with fiqh and acquiring narrations is hardly enough to rectify the heart, unless one mixes with that the study of al-raqaa’iq (heart-softening narrations) and examining the biographies of the salaf al-saaliheen, because they [i.e. the Salaf] realized the intended purpose of those narrations and extracted the commanded actions from them, perceiving their intended meanings and desired understandings thereby.

And I do not inform you of this except after personal trials and error, because I have found that the majority of the muhadditheen and students of hadeeth are primarily concerned with the shortest chain of narration and increasing the number of narrations. And that the majority of the fuqahaa’(jurists) are primarily concerned with knowledge of debate, argumentation and how to win an a dispute. And how can hearts by softened with these things?

And there used to be a group of the salaf who would visit a righteous servant in order to observe his characteristics and manners, and not to take knowledge from him. And that is because the fruits of his knowledge were his manners and conduct, so understand this! So combine the study of fiqh and hadeeth with studying the lives of the salaf and those who exercises zuhd in this dunya in order that this might be a cause of softening for your heart.

And I have compiled a book for each and every one of the well-known and excellent people, containing their tales and their manners. I have compiled a book about the exploits of al-Hasan (al-Basri), and a book about the exploits of Sufyan al-Thawri, Ibrahim ibn Adhham, Bishr al-Haafi, Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Ma’roof, and others from the ‘ulamaa’and those who were known for their zuhd, and Allah is the giver of success. And deeds are not performed correctly with (only) a little knowledge. And what should be understood (from all this speech) is in the parable of a stick and a carrot [i.e. a push-factor and a pull-factor, one thing which is motivating you by fear and another which is motivating you with a reward], and a person’s soul is stubbornly in between the two. But with a persistent stick and carrot, one can keep moving, and we seek refuge with Allah from apathy.

Beware of the Hardness of the Heart, for it can lead you to the Fire. So protect your heart from becoming hard and all that which may case it to harden, and beware of turning away from the admonition of Allâh, the Most High.

“Has not the time come for the hearts of those who believe to be affected by Allâh’s Reminder (this Qur’ân) and that which has been revealed of the truth, lest they become as those who received the Scripture before, and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened? And many of them were rebellious, disobedient (fâsiqoon)” (57:16)

It has been mentioned in explanation of this verse, which has been reported by Abû Hazim, that Amir ibn Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr related to him (i.e. Aboo Haazim) that his father informed him that only four years had passed between the time of their acceptance of Islâm and the revelation of this verse, through which Allâh was reproaching them:

“….lest they become as those who received the Scripture before, and the term was prolonged for them and so their hearts were hardened? And many of them were rebellious, disobedient (fâsiqoon)” (57:16)

(sahîh in Sunan Ibn Mâjah).

Ibn ‘Abbâs said in explanation of this verse,

“They became inclined to this world and turned away from the admonition of Allâh”

Al-Hasan al-Basrisaid, “One day I was walking with a young pious man in the narrow streets of Basra and its markets until we reached a physician sitting on a chair and around him were many men, women, and children who had bottles of water in their hands. Each one of them was seeking a cure for his illness.

The young man moved closer to the physician and asked him, ‘O physician! Do you have a medicine that cleans away sins and cures the [spiritual] diseases of the heart?

He replied ‘Yes!’

The young man said, ‘Give it to me!”

The physician said,

“Take ten things from me –

take the roots of the tree of poverty with the roots of the tree of humility,

and pour in it the milk of repentance,

then place it in the mortar of acceptance [of whatever is predestined for one],

crush it with the pestle of contentment,

then place it in the pot of piety,

pour over it the water of shame,

then boil it with the fire of love,

then place it in the cup of gratitude

and cool it down with the fan of hope,

then drink it with the spoon of praise.

If you do all of this then it will cure you of every illness and trial in this world and in the Hereafter.’”

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Umar Ibn Al-Khattab said:

"If a man comes out of his house carrying a burden of sins like the mountains of Tihamah, then when he hears some knowledge he fears Allah and repents, he will go back home with no sins on him.
So do not forsake the gatherings of the scholars."
[Miftah Dar as-Sa’adah, 1/122; Fara’id al-Kalam, p. 135.]

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